There has not been a new class of anti migraine drugs since the development and marketing of triptans in 1991, and they are not preventives, just designed to treat attacks.

In studies pharmaceutical company Teva reported for the first time that its drug led to more than half of patients experiencing a 50 per cent or greater reduction in the number of headache hours after one week.

Dr Goadsby said: "The potential of these new compounds is enormous and gives us real hope that effective specific treatments for migraine may be on the near horizon.